How I learned to Spread Masa on a Corn Husk

I feel like I’ve been working my way up the tamale making line my whole life. When I was a little girl I wasn’t allowed to get my tiny hands in the tamale making process along with the other women in my family. The spreading of the masa or filling the tamales was reserved for the adults. I was stuck soaking the corn husks and then putting them in a strainer to dry. When I got a little older I was then asked to label the bags so we would know which were red, green, or sweet. It wasn’t till I became a pre-teen that I was allowed to sit at the table with the grown ups. I remember my aunt saying to me “If you can master the spreading of the masa, then you are ready to make tamales.” I learned quickly and never had to watch over soaking corn husks again. I was now sitting in the prize spot with my family, listening in on all the tidbits they shared about life and days of their youth.

I am now able to make tamales from start to finish with no help or extra assistance from anyone and have somehow become the ring leader of the entire process with the ladies. Every year, my aunts vow that they are done making tamales and are happy that they have taught me well to carry on the tradition, but the minute December rolls around they all start looking at the calendar to see if there is a day when we can all meet. None of this unity would be possible without Maseca, and for that, I am grateful for the amazing tasting corn flour.

This year I spent the day showing my little cousins and nieces how to spread the masa on the corn husks the way my aunts showed me. Hoping that one day down the line they too will be able to make tamales for their families and show their daughters and sons……